Precious (The Jam song)

{{More citations needed|date=October 2016}}

{{Infobox song

| name = Precious

| cover =

| alt =

| type = single

| artist = The Jam

| album = The Gift

| A-side = Town Called Malice

| released = 29 January 1982

| recorded = 1981

| studio =

| venue =

| genre = {{flatlist|

|}}

| length = 4:12

| label = Polydor (UK){{cite book| author= Jo Rice| year= 1982

| title= The Guinness Book of 500 Number One Hits| edition= 1st| publisher= Guinness Superlatives Ltd|pages=221/2 | isbn= 0-85112-250-7}}

| writer = Paul Weller

| producer = Peter Wilson and The Jam{{cite web |url=http://www.theofficialcharts.com/zoom.php?id=495 |title=JAM {{pipe}} Artist |publisher=Official Charts |accessdate=29 March 2014 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100105021935/http://theofficialcharts.com/zoom.php?id=495 |archivedate=5 January 2010 }}

| prev_title = Absolute Beginners

| prev_year = 1981

| title =

| title2 = Town Called Malice

| next_title = Just Who Is the 5 O'Clock Hero?

| next_year = 1982

| misc = {{External music video|{{Youtube|T0mDmabbR1E|"Precious"}}}}

}}

"Precious" is a song composed by Paul Weller and performed by the British band The Jam.

Details

It appeared on The Jam's 1982 album, The Gift, and also as a double A-side single along with "Town Called Malice". It reached number one in the UK Singles Chart,{{cite book

| first= David

| last= Roberts

| year= 2006

| title= British Hit Singles & Albums

| edition= 19th

| publisher= Guinness World Records Limited

| location= London

| isbn= 1-904994-10-5

| page= 277}} although the song received much less airplay than "Town Called Malice".{{citation needed|date=October 2016}} It was a departure for the band from their punk and mod roots, involving a funk-like sound that the band had not previously explored. Uncut described the track as "hypnotically itchy punk-funk". Some fans and critics{{Who|date=October 2022}} have noticed the song contains a number of similarities to "Papa's Got a Brand New Pigbag", which was a relatively new release itself at the time.{{citation needed|date=October 2022}} Weller himself was to admit in 1998 he had used that song as part of the inspiration for "Precious".{{cite news |title=The Jam – The Gift: Super Deluxe Edition |url=https://www.uncut.co.uk/reviews/the-jam-the-gift-super-deluxe-edition-2140/ |access-date=27 September 2021 |website=Uncut.co.uk |date=19 November 2012}}{{cite web|url=http://www.wellerworld.co.uk/Uncut.html |title=Last Man Standing |website=Wellerworld.co.uk |date=1998-05-01 |access-date=2017-01-08}}

References